Ice Breaker Game: The Movie of Your Life

If they made a movie of your life, what kind of movie would it be and who would be cast as you? This is a fun and easy ice breaker game for adults in the classroom, in a meeting, or at a seminar or conference. Choose this ice breaker when you want a quick exercise for introducing participants to each other, particularly when the reason for gathering has a definite fun aspect to it. It's also great at a party, especially if the participants are movie buffs or up-to-date on pop culture.

Get Creative With the Truth

Are your students or guests James...James Bond? Or more the Arnold Schwarzenegger type? Make that "Ahhnold." Maybe they see themselves as Scarlet in Gone With the Wind, or Cat Woman. This game asks: Is your life an adventure, drama, romance, or horror flick? Walking Dead or Armageddon? Maybe it's a reality show with some bizarre angle. It might even be a documentary or news show. Maybe a talk show? Encourage your participants to take a kernel of the truth and stretch it creatively.

Customizing the Game for the Classroom

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Marooned Ice Breaker Party Game for Adults

By Deb Peterson

If you are teaching movie history, or really any kind of history, this is the perfect ice breaker game for your class. Have a list of movies available that relate to your topic in case your students need a little prompting.

If you are teaching literature, customize the game to be famous characters in books. Ask: Are you the Cat in the Hat? Huck Finn? Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby? Dumbledore? Madame Bovary? The list is endless. Have your own list of titles related to your time period in case your students need a little help. This ice breaker game can also give you an idea of how well-read your students are. See if they can remember the authors!

This is a fantastic ice breaker game if you are teaching the hero's journey. In addition to naming a character in a movie, ask them which archetype that character represents. Brilliant!

Give your participants a few minutes to imagine what kind of movie would be made about their life, and who would be cast as them. Ask each person to give their name and share their movie fantasy. Would their life be a drama with Meryl Streep as the lead? Or more like a Jim Carrey comedy? Are they the main character? Hero? Villain? Wallflower? Mentor?

Tie the Game Into the Lesson Plan

If the topic you are teaching is related to movies, literature, or characters and roles of any kind, your debriefing is especially important and makes a very nice warm-up for your first lesson. What about your students' choices is attractive and interesting to them? What is it that causes them to remember the movie, book, or character? Do they remember the entire story or just certain scenes? Why? How did the character or movie impact or change their life? Ask questions that help you introduce your material.

As a variation, you could modify this game by asking participants to share the kind of movie they’d like their life to be.

You'll need about 30 minutes, and no special materials are needed. Just use a little imagination.